After the U.S. Supreme Court this week upheld an order not requiring Texas hospitals to provide emergency abortion care, a Dallas reproductive justice group warns the decision will be particularly harmful to Black women. .
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Biden administration’s guidance that the Emergency Medical Labor and Labor Act (EMTALA) requires abortions to be provided in emergency rooms when the pregnant patient’s life or health is at risk. allowed the lower court’s order blocking enforcement to remain in place. Even if it violates state prohibitions.
Afiya Center said in a statement that the decision presents new challenges for marginalized women, especially black women, who are disproportionately affected by a lack of health care access.
“There is no doubt that this ruling will cause black women to be needlessly injured, put them at risk of criminal prosecution, and result in the worst possible avoidable death,” Afiya Center said in a statement.
The Biden administration said that under EMTALA, emergency rooms are required to provide abortions in emergencies, despite state bans.
Texas law prohibits abortions unless the pregnant patient’s life is in danger, but the law does not specify when the exception applies.
Afiya Center says, “The Texas Medical Board declines to specify what conditions qualify for exceptions, potentially putting the provision of abortion care at risk of criminal prosecution.” “We leave it up to health care providers to speculate.”
Afiya Center Deputy Director D’Andra Willis highlighted the existing challenges that Black women face within the health care system. Black women don’t feel safe there and often feel ignored. She said the maternal mortality rate for black women is significantly higher than for white women, and the ruling could widen that disparity.
“Right now, there are doctors who don’t feel safe and who believe that they have been criminalized just for doing exactly what they were sworn to do,” Willis said.
Willis believes the decision will lead to further challenges such as increased domestic violence, teenage pregnancy and mental health problems.
“Whenever a ban or a bill or a law is enacted that affects people, black people are always disenfranchised,” Willis said. “And marginalized people will be disproportionately influenced and seriously criminalized by their decisions.”
Zara Amaechi is a Marjorie Welch Fitz-Louis Fellow at KERA covering race and social justice. Any tips? Please email Zara at zamaechi@kera.org. You can follow her at X @amaechizara.
KERA News is made possible through the cooperation of our members. If you found this report valuable, please consider making a tax-deductible gift today. thank you.